Operation:Save Christmas
by BonesBird
Summary: Leaving things until the last minute is never a good idea! Thankfully Hotch has a Christmas fairy to help him save the day. CCOAC gift exchange for Bren Gail.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Operation: Save Christmas  
><strong>**Summary: Leaving things until the last minute is never a good idea! Thankfully Hotch has a Christmas fairy to help him save the day. CCOAC gift exchange for Bren Gail.**

**OK. This is my CCOAC Christmas gift for the lovely Bren Gail, who wanted a Hotch/Garcia fic with the prompts of the song "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", decorating a tree, Christmas character shaped cookies and a child trying to catch a glimpse of Santa. Which were amazing prompts, and I hope that you enjoy this Bren! I think it'll be a little twoshot, but I'm not certain. Have so many fics going on right now it's crazy. Really struggled getting this going, so as always, thanks to Ana, PinkAngel and LoveMeThatsAllIAskOfYou.**

**Nadolig Llawen everyone. Especially you Bren. My 100th Criminal Minds fanfic. **

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><p>Aaron Hotchner wasn't really the Christmas type. He never had been. Something left in his psyche from his less than stellar childhood. He always tried to get in the spirit for Jack, but it rarely worked properly. Jack was still young enough that he didn't notice. His personal Christmas fairy Penelope Garcia was often the one who got him most in the spirit. She was there when he and Jack needed a bit of extra cheer. This year they would need a lot of cheer, as he'd not done any Christmas shopping, and it was the day before Christmas Eve. He knew she'd help him save Christmas.<p>

"Help" he asked as he walked into her lair. He always felt like Penelope didn't so much decorate as let off a tinsel bomb in her office. She hadn't even looked round when he'd walked in

"Wait, what?" she replied, jumping almost a foot in the air as she did. He suppressed a smile at the sight of how distracted she was. He felt his confidence dry up as she fixed him with a stare

"Christmas" He stammered, and he saw her look at him with a question dancing behind her eyes

"Boss I need more than one word answers" she prodded. He actually smiled at that. His nerves evaporating as she laughed.

"I need help Christmas shopping" he said. Ignoring the feeling that he was being watched by someone other than Penelope, though he was sure Morgan was nearby, he always was.

"I thought you had all Jack's presents" she replied, fixing him with a stare that sent chills up his spine.

"I lied" he muttered almost under his breath. Penelope was so maternal at times that it broke his heart that she didn't already have her own children to mother.

"Not very clever" she tutted, turning back to her computer. He stood next to her, fixing her with a glare

"Are you going to help or not?"

"Why me?" she asked, sounding unsure of herself, something he very rarely heard.

"Because Jack loves you, and you know what he likes" he commented, hearing Morgan's office door shut again. "you're still coming tomorrow?" he asked with a smile,

"I'll be there" she confirmed with a nod, her eyes lighting up again.

"So, shopping"

"Tomorrow, lunch. You are paying"

"Done" He laughed and left her office, feeling better than he had in weeks.

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><p>"Aunty Penelope" Jack ran up to her as she and Derek walked into Hotch's, it was the least Christmassy place she'd ever gone, and was glad she'd brought her spare decorations.<p>

"Yes Jack" she smiled, picking him up "ooof, buddy, you're getting too big for this"

"I learnt a new Christmas song" he smiled and jumped up and down as she put him on the floor

"Really?" she smiled, half listening to Derek and Hotch's conversation

"Shall I sing it?"

"Yes please" she grinned as he took a big breath. He looked so pleased with himself

"He knows when you are sleep, he knows when you're on the can, he'll hunt you down and blast your ass from here to Pakistan…"

"Er Jack" she tried to interrupt. Not sure what he was singing, but almost certain it wasn't a song for Christmas.

"You better not breathe, you better not move, you're better off dead I'm telling you dude, Santa Clause is gunning you down" He clapped, and she smiled at how happy he was, even if his song hadn't really been in the Christmas spirit.

"Very, er, nice Jack. Hey, go play with your uncle Derek, I wanna talk to your dad"

"OK" Jack ran off, dragging Derek to the back of the apartment. She walked up and helped Hotch fillet the fish they were all making for the BAU Christmas Eve gathering.

"That songs been going round school"

"I thought he was singing Santa's coming to town at first" she laughed, shaking her head lightly, then wrapping a line of tinsel around Hotch's shoulders

"So did I the first time." he glared at her, but she continued to tuck the tinsel in.

"I'll get him to help decorate the tree, take Derek on a beer run" she ordered, and shouted Jack, pulling everything they'd need out of her magic bag. She was glad she had come.


	2. Chapter 2

****Title: Operation: Save Christmas  
><strong>**Summary: Leaving things until the last minute is never a good idea! Thankfully Hotch has a Christmas fairy to help him save the day. CCOAC gift exchange for Bren Gail.****

****Nadolig Llawen everyone. A little bit of Christmas inspiration struck for this chapter. It's just a diddy thing. Hope you've enjoyed this happy little Christmas drabbly.****

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><p>Trying to get Jack to bed was always a full time job, and he sat watching her as she dealt with him. She was always amazing at it, and got him into bed long before Hotch himself could have done. "Aunty Penelope do I need to go to bed?" she sat on the edge of the bed as Jack asked her.<p>

"If you don't go to bed Santa won't come" was her response. He smiled, glad that some of Jack's innocence was still in place,

"But I want to meet Santa" Jack shouted, sitting up. Penelope shushed him, and settled him back on his pillows, he smiled as he saw his little boy stifle a yawn

"Look buddy, if you're good and fall asleep, I'll get Santa to leave you a letter" Jack nodded a little as he settled under, holding his favourite robot, Hotch smiled at the tender moment he was watching.

"OK. You promise?"

"I promise" Penelope smiled, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. He watched as she started tucking the covers around him the way he had seen Haley do so many times. "Tight?" she laughed at Jack's antics as he wiggled about, trying to make it harder for Penelope.

"Tight as tight" he whispered as his eyes started drooping. He watched as Penelope left the room. She followed him through to the living room, where he sat on the chair, looking at her.

"You're good with him" he commented, hoping that it would cheer her up, he'd seen her get very down this year over the kids

"He's my little man. Everyone left?" she asked, unnecessarily. He waved around with a stern face.

"It's just you and me" he laughed, feeling good about her being there.

"Good, then it's time for me to teach you to bake Christmas cookies"

"Penelope" he stopped, reaching out for her hand and pulling her round to face him.

"Yes?" she looked confused as to why he'd stopped her, but when a smile spread on her face he knew he could do no more than what he'd wanted to endthe night on.

"Merry Christmas" he said quietly, giving her a hug. Then allowing her to teach him to bake.


End file.
